How To Become A Dental Assistant

There are several different paths through which one can become a dental assistant. The requirements in terms of education, certification, and licensing vary significantly from state to state.

In some states, individuals can work as a dental assistant with no formal educational requirements other than a high school diploma, while other states will require training and education through an accredited dental assistant school. Still other states will require state or national level certification. Use the site map found above to locate your state and find out the requirements in your jurisdiction.

State specific requirements not only dictate whether an individual is qualified to work as a dental assistant, but they may also restrict the scope of a dental assistant’s permitted duties once on the job. Certain states require that dental assistants undergo additional training in order to perform designated expanded functions, or to operate x-ray equipment.

On the job training frequently comes into play in dental assistant training, especially in states where there are no formal educational requirements. In these states, supervising dentists and more senior dental assistants will show new dental assistants everything how to perform daily tasks, how to deal with patients, standard office procedures, and anything else they need to know in order to become an effective member of the team.